College cadavers take chase

College cadavers take chase

A deadly virus has gripped a Mansfield college causing students to run for their lives out of the paths of the undead yesterday (31 October).

Halloween brought more than tricks and treats at West Nottinghamshire College as students enjoyed the thrill of a zombie run – in the name of raising money for a national charity.

Public services and sports learners were challenged to follow a circuit of the building which was infected with zombies – played by performing arts students.

Runners had to collect survival items along the route, while avoiding getting ‘bitten’, and make their way back to the safe zone.

Runners and bystanders made donations to raise money for the NSPCC and the zombie run was created and organised by the college’s student experience team, to support the charity’s national Go Green For Halloween campaign.

A cross-college collaboration saw students on the Diploma in Theatrical and Media Make-up Level 3 programme support the event using their make-up skills to create some ‘life-like’ zombie effects. They were on-hand throughout the afternoon to offer Halloween make-up effects to fellow students.

Student experience team leader, Robert Pearce said: “Everyone had a lot of fun on the zombie run. It injected a real sense of Walking Dead-style fun into Halloween at college and I was really impressed with the zombies – they looked genuinely scary.

“It’s been a great opportunity for students from different areas to work together to develop their skills and help create a fantastic first run. Hopefully, this will be an annual event that will grow each year. From the two runs that have taken place we’ve raised almost £30.”

Level 3 Sports Diploma student Nikita Rodgers, 17, said: “It was great fun and very different to what we normally do and I think we should have more events like this. It gets you much more involved in college life and we’ve met students we wouldn’t usually see day to day.”